Tales Of The Heart (undergoing editing)

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

"Amber!", my sister screamed as she came running and hugged that unknown girl in joy.

"Sasha! I was wondering where you were? Why haven't I seen you yet?", the girl said to her in return.

I stood motionless, watching them talking about their girly stuff.

Hmm..are they friends?

As I approached, Sasha introduced me, saying, "He's my elder brother."
The girl turned to look at me, her gaze meeting mine. Her eyes held a mix of surprise and a hint of something I couldn't quite place. Who was she? Why did I suddenly feel so compelled to know her better?

"Hey there, my name's Kevin Dawson."

"Hello," she replied, her voice soft and pleasant. " I'm Amber Knightley."

Sasha chimed in, explaining, "She's a friend of mine. We're in the same class."

Why hadn't Sasha ever mentioned Amber before? Why was I finding out about her now, through this unexpected encounter, when I should have known her already?

As I gazed at Amber, who returned my look with a silent observation, a wave of emotions washed over me. I felt a mix of curiosity, attraction, and frustration, all swirling together in a confusing maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and feelings.

Some of their other friends also joined the conversation. As they shared laughter and gossip, their number thinned out as each one took their
leave, until only one remained – Luna Turner. She was quite famous, known to have had an affair with a suicidal maniac.

Sasha chimed in with a mischievous grin, "Since you're here for the first time, why not show you around?"

Amber chimed in enthusiastically, "Let's explore the off-limits areas we're not usually allowed to go to on regular days. Sounds exciting, right, Luna?"

Luna nodded, agreeing with the suggestion.
We spent the evening together, enjoying each other's company. Despite my attempts, I never managed to find an opportunity to steal away a few moments with Amber alone, and the longer the evening went on, the more keenly I felt the desire to speak with her privately.

She was vibrant and fun-loving who exuded boundless energy when surrounded by her friends. Yet, when I was nearby, she seemed withdrawn and reserved, an unexpected juxtaposition that left me puzzling over the reason for her guarded behavior when in my company.

"Click a picture of me and my buddies together with Amber's phone." Sasha requested.

Amber approached me to give her phone, and just like that I went to take her phone. Our fingers grazed each other. It felt like we were connected on a deeper level. Our proximity to each other was so close, for a moment I just kept glancing at her. It was like we're the only two people in the world. No one else mattered or existed except the both of us in that moment.

*SNAP* Sasha snapped her fingers to wake me up.
"Bro are u there?"

Luna chuckled, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes as she turned to us.
"So, is there something going on between you two? Come on, don't keep us in suspense!"

I tried to sidestep the question, not wanting to introduce any potential awkwardness between us. Yet, I couldn't help but notice that Amber's cheeks had turned a soft shade of pink.

Sasha's voice broke the momentary silence, her surprise clear in her tone. 'Amber, are you blushing?"

Amber moved towards them, breaking the tension as she spoke. "Come on, both of you, stop it. Let's take a quick photo before I head home."

Luna chimed in, her voice filled with surprise, "It's evening already? Can't believe time flew by so quickly. We had a great time together."

They posed and joked around as I snapped one photo after another, my hands busy immortalizing the memory while my mind was elsewhere, secretly stealing glances at Amber and her captivating presence.

As the late hour settled in, everyone began heading home.
With a sense of urgency, Luna bid us farewell, explaining that she had some urgent business to attend to before quickly taking her leave

As we left the university gate, my eyes met Amber's in a fleeting glance, and in that moment, a world of unspoken emotions passed between us.
Sasha waved goodbye to Amber before turning her attention to me, a playful smile spreading across her face.

As the moment stretched on, I finally found the words to speak.
"Bye, Amber..it was nice meeting you."

She looked away for a moment, and then, in a soft voice, she replied, "Bye-Kevin."

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